Discover Schrattenthal

Schrattenthal combines a city history with a clearly recorded date with distinctive buildings and several hiking routes. If you are looking for a hotel in Schrattenthal, you can explore the area based on two interests: history and architecture, or hiking. The tours differ in length, route and stated difficulty. The buildings and trails offer different starting points for your visit.

City History and Historic Buildings

Schrattenthal was elevated to city status by Emperor Frederick III on September 18, 1472, and received a city coat of arms at the same time. Another notable date is 1501: the first printing press in Lower Austria was established in Schrattenthal that year. These two dates connect the town’s history with its elevation to city status and the early history of printing in Lower Austria.

Schrattenthal Castle includes a late Gothic castle church, a Baroque granary and a medieval starvation tower with a dungeon. The starvation tower is a free-standing round tower with a diameter of 18.55 meters and walls 5.35 meters thick. These measurements describe different aspects of its construction: the tower’s diameter and the thickness of its walls. The late Gothic St. Martin’s Castle Chapel was built in 1436/38. Due to its defensive features, it is considered a fortified church.

Landscape and Views

The castle park is also shaped by a distinctive landscape feature: it is home to a 3.5-hectare lavender field with more than 60,000 plants. It offers a different focus alongside the historic buildings, and its size and density of planting are clearly defined.

The Europawarte St. Benedikt is located on Schafberg near Waitzendorf at an elevation of 471 meters and offers views of the surrounding landscape. It marks the boundary with the Waldviertel region. The observation tower was built in 1980 to commemorate the 1,500th anniversary of Saint Benedict. In Schrattenthal, the Kalvarienberg vineyard offers a view across the entire municipal area. The two descriptions of the views therefore refer to different areas: the surrounding landscape from Schafberg and the municipal area from Kalvarienberg.

Hiking between Schrattenthal and Waitzendorf

The Urbanusweg is a family-friendly circular trail that connects the sights of the Schrattenthal municipality. It passes through Obermarkersdorf, Waitzendorf and the town of Schrattenthal. The route runs alongside meadows and fields, and also passes through woodland and vineyards. If you are looking for a family-friendly circular trail with varied landscapes, this route provides a clear option.

The Waitzendorf Marterl Trail follows paved roads and forest paths, passing numerous historic wayside shrines and memorial sites. Hikers can refill their water supplies at the church square and at Johannesbrunnen. The trail is 14.2 kilometers long and divided into three stages.

The Europawarte Trail is a moderately challenging hike from Obermarkersdorf to Waitzendorf. At 2.81 kilometers, it is shorter than the Marterl Trail; its listed elevation gain is 139 meters and its descent is 112 meters. The two tours can therefore be compared by length and the available information about stages: a shorter route described as moderately challenging, versus a longer trail divided into three stages. Route details and conditions may change; check the current route before setting out.

Discover more destinations: Waitzendorf, Großkadolz, Watzelsdorf, Zellerndorf, Pernersdorf, Retz, Ebersbrunn, Municipality of Retzbach.

For the overview of the wider region: Hollabrunn.